Leslie Blodgett, Creator of bareMinerals and Executive Chairman of Bare Escentuals, launched bareMinerals, the pioneering line of 100% pure bareMinerals products in 1995. They sold like hot cakes and in 2001, bareMinerals was the #1 selling brand on QVC.
Prior to testing out the bareMinerals Get Started Complexion Kit, I’d never used any mineral foundations. Truth be told, I was a bit confused about all the pots in the Kit. Why so many? Well, each Kit contains 2 shades of SPF15 foundations of 2g each, one lighter and one darker. In addition each Kit also contains the following:-
(1) Mineral Veil (3g);
(2) Warmth All-Over Face Color (2g);
(3) Full Flawless Face Brush;
(4) Flawless Application Face Brush;
(5) Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush;
(6) Get Started Guide & How-To DVD;
(7) SPF20 Multi-Tasking Concealer; and
(8) Sample sachet of Prime Time Foundation Primer.
Start by applying the Prime Time Foundation Primer or any other face primer you may have, this helps the foundation adhere to the skin, maximise the staying power of the Foundation and smooths skin prior to foundation application. Each pot of powder comes with a sifter which is good because you really need very little product, be it Foundation, Mineral Veil, All-Over Face Color or Concealer.
The Foundations in my Medium (shade) Kit are in Medium and Medium Beige, the former being the lighter shade and the one I use most frequently. My ideal shade is probably in the Light (shade) Kit but I can marginally get away with using the Medium (shade) Kit.
As the products don’t contain any preservatives, oils, waxes, talc, fragrance, filler and binders, it’s said to be suitable for sensitive and problem-prone skins. It’s formulated with a revolutionary award-winning formula of finely crushed minerals and said to be so pure you can sleep in it®.
The Foundations claim to provide sheer to full coverage, they are buildable for more coverage. The correct way to use the Foundation is the “Swirl, Tap, Buff®” technique where you pour a small amount of bareMinerals in the lid, swirl the brush until all the bareMinerals are tucked into the brush, then tap away excess (there should never be any visible bareMinerals on the outside of the brush) and buff onto the skin in a circular motion, starting from the outside of the face near cheekbones.
What the Foundations gives me is a sheer radiant luminosity, it’s truly a barely there foundation. I don’t feel like there is any product on my face as it is so lightweight and non-cakey. I thought that my skin would feel dry since it’s a powder product but my skin felt comfortable throughout the day. The Foundations have a creamy finish with a “second skin” effect.
What I get from the Foundation is a completely natural look and what I like about using a foundation in powder form is that I don’t need to use my fingers like I’d have to with liquid or mousse foundations. I know I can use brushes or sponges with those types of foundations but invariably, I end up using my fingers.
Since the Foundation imparts a glow to skin, I’m not sure how it will look on oily skin where more glow is the last thing is need. Those with oily skins may benefit more from using bareMinerals’ SPF15 Matte Foundation which absorbs excess oil and eliminates shine.
What’s the Mineral Veil? It is a translucent powder which has light-diffusing properties but I didn’t really see that much difference with or without the Mineral Veil. It can be used before or after the Foundation. It’s recommended to be used before Foundation for those with oilier complexions, in humid climates and if you’re using heavy moisturisers. It can be used after Foundation to absorb oil, set the Foundation, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and pores and keeping complexion fresh all day.
Warmth All-Over Face Color is like a bronzer, this is to be used sparingly. I find this one super-concentrated as just a bit imparts a lot of warm color. It’s used as a highlighter to impart a healthy glow, i.e. on the forehead, cheekbones, chin.
The 3 brushes in the Kit are goats’ hair brushes, so I’ve been informed. They are soft and perfect for distributing the Foundation evenly. My favourite brush is the Full Flawless Face Brush (for full coverage) as it delivers the Foundation to all areas of my face quickly. The Foundation is easily absorbed into its bristles too. The other Foundation Brush is the Flawless Application Face Brush for lighter coverage.
I also like the Concealer Brush a lot as it is firm yet not hard. It does not poke my delicate under-eye area. It picks up the Concealer well and it packs it firmly on to the required areas of coverage. The Concealer gives good coverage to dark circles, acne scars and spots.
The ingredients have been obtained from bareEscentuals official website:-
ORIGINAL SPF 15 Foundation – Medium : Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 25%. Inactive Ingredients: Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Iron Oxides
ORIGINAL SPF 15 Foundation – Medium Beige : Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 12.6%, Zinc Oxide 21%. Inactive Ingredients: Bismuth Oxychloride, Mica, Iron Oxides, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
Mineral Veil : Zea Mays (Corn Starch), Corn Starch Modified, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Stearate. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)
Warmth : Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Iron Oxides (CI 77499, CI 77491, CI 77492)
Brush Conditionning Shampoo : Water (Aqua/Eau), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, TEA-Lauryl Sulfate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Pentasodium Triphosphate, Octoxynol-9, Polyquaternium-7, Lauramide DEA, DMDM Hydantoin, Sodium PCA
Overall, I think that these Complexion Kits will be suitable for those who don’t need a lot of coverage, such as you get from liquid foundations. The Foundations in these Kits veer towards sheer to medium coverage and you’d need to use a lot of concealer with these Foundations if you have a lot of problem areas to cover up. Also, those with oilier complexions may not get as much staying power from the products as those with dry skins.
Although the Foundation contain sunscreen, SPF15 is rather too low and I’d advocate using a higher SPF sunscreen prior to applying the Foundation. For those who don’t need much coverage or who refrain from using foundations because it’s too suffocating for our humid climate, the bareMinerals Foundations are the ideal alternative. Consider also that a minute amount of product is required for each application and you’ll find the Get Started Complexion Kits go a very long way. Even beginners to make-up will find these products easy to use once they read the guide or watch the DVD. Before you consider purchasing, you can watch this video of Leslie Blodgett demonstrating the Swirl, Tap, Buff™ method.
The 8 piece bareMinerals Get Started Complexion Kit is available in 6 shades on the bareEscentuals official website but I believe only 4 (the lightest shades) are available at Sephora outlets here. It retails at RM239.
Note : The bareMinerals Get Started Complexion Kit was provided by PR for review.
